What Do Digital Devices Do To The Brain?

 

I keep hearing that people who use digital devices regularly undergo certain changes.  I have a student who is upset because his parents have designated certain days to play games instead of letting him do it as much as he wants.  I notice the students who use their devices frequently all seem to have difficulty spending time getting assignments done so today, we are looking at that question.  "What do digital devices do to the brain. 

First of all, it appears that technology can change the structure of the brain.  When you have your phone set to allow notifications to happen, all those pings, alerts, and rings, can be a huge distraction. This makes it harder for people to concentrate consequently they do not perform as well in school, at work, or even in daily life.  It is possible that frequent multitasking on the device can lead to a diminished gray matter in the anterior cingulate cortex.

In addition, using digital devices can wear out the pleasure center of the brain.  When we read text messages, watch youtube videos, check out tiktok, or play video games our pleasure centers in the brain become hyperstimulated by the production of dopamine. Over stimulating this part of the brain can make other enjoyable activities less enjoyable.

Furthermore, the use of digital devices often leads to a decrease in physical activity.  These devices capture our attention so we are less likely to get up and move around. Unfortunately, we need to have physical activity to strengthen muscles and improve our cardiovascular system. There are several studies which link increased digital/technology device to a more sedimentary lifestyle and increased obesity.

The increased of digital devices can also lead to remembering less.  We don't use our memories as much because we can look information up on google.  This leads to a reliance on using technology instead of our memories because we know it will be there if we need to find it again.  Consequently, we do not develop our memory as well as in the past.

Finally, the use of digital devices/technology can decrease the amount of sleep we get.  Many people take their device to bed so they can check their email, social media, or other media just one last time before going to sleep.  This often leads us to surfing and losing track of time so by the time we get to sleep, we only have five or six hours instead of eight or nine hours. In addition, people lose sleep because they may be thinking about something they read or saw.  The other thing is that the blue light emitted can disrupt our regular sleep cycle.

This is a good thing to know.  It can explain why some of your students are up to all hours.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.